New Delhi: J P Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare held a high level meeting to review the relief measures in Kerala. ShriAshwini Kumar Choubey, Minister of State from Health and Family Welfare and Smt.Preeti Sudan, Secretary (Health) along with other senior officers from NCDC and DGHS participated in the meeting. ShriNadda stated that the outbreak situation is being monitored on a daily basis and the strategic Health Operation Centre has been activated. He further said that no outbreak of communicable disease has been reported yet. He stated that he is in regular communication with Smt. K KShailaja, Health Minister, Kerala and is personally monitoring the situation.Secretary (Health) is also indaily communication with the State health functionaries and monitoring the situation daily.

To meet with the situation, 65 metric tonnes of essential emergency drugs for flood situation havebeen airlifted today by IAF and have reached Trivandrum. 1 cr chlorine tablets have been sent today and another 1 crare in transit. The total request for 4 crchlorine tablets will be sent in phases. The Health Ministry has further mobilized20 MT of bleaching powder which is being sent by road of which10 MT will reach today and another 10 MT tomorrow.Additional 40 MT of bleaching powder are being procured and shall reach Kerala soon.

In addition, 12 public health teamshave already been constituted,one each for all 12 worst affected districts and ready for deployment on request of the State. Also, 10 specialist medical teams have also been constituted (30 specialists and 20 GDMOs). Besides, psycho-social teams from NIMHANS to be deployedas and when requested by the State government.

National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has issued several health advisories to support the State in meeting with post-flood public health management when the threat of water borne, vector borne and viral hepatitis diseases shall become potent. NCDC teams are ready for deployment to support the State.

As the flood situation in Kodagu in Karnataka is also worsening, one medical team from Bangalore to Kodagu district has also been dispatched there to provide necessary support.